Polycythemia vera: myths, mechanisms, and management

Abstract

However, no reason for this to be so. Although the molecular basis of polycythemia vera remains elusive, it is the central thesis of this review that the pathophysiology of polycythemia vera is suffi- ciently well defined for the provision of a rational treatment program that prolongs life, alleviates the specific morbidities associated with the disease, and avoids complications related to the consequences of the underlying molecular defect. However, for such an approach to be successful, it is first necessary to recognize the contradictions between what is actually known about this disease and how that knowledge has been interpreted and applied clinically, and that is the purpose of this review.